O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 1
PA 23-97—sSB 9
Public Health Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING HE ALTH AND WELLNESS FO R
CONNECTICUT RESIDENT S
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
§ 1 — ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY A ND ASSISTED
REPRODUCTION
Prohibits anyone from barring or unreasonably limiting (1) anyone from accessing ART or
assisted reproduction or (2) authorized providers from performing these procedures
§ 2 — MEDICAID FUNDING FOR LONG-ACTING REVERSIBLE
CONTRACEPTIVES
Conforms to existing DSS policy by requiring Medicaid coverage for same-day access to long-
acting reversible contraceptives at federally qualified health centers
§§ 3 & 4 — DRUG USE HARM REDUCTION CENTE RS
Requires DMHAS, by July 1, 2027, to create a pilot program establishing harm reduction centers
where people with substance use disorder can access counseling, receive and use fentanyl or
xylazine test strips, and receive various other services; exempts the centers from DPH regulation
until after the pilot program ends; exempts the centers from needing CON approval
§ 5 — OPIOID ANTAGONISTS
Creates an Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund, which DMHAS must use to give opioid
antagonists to municipalities, EMS organizations, and other eligible entities; correspondingly
requires EMS personnel to provide kits with opioid antagonists and an opioid-related fact sheet to
certain patients
§ 6 — ENCOURAGING PATIENTS TO OBTAIN OPIOID ANTAGONISTS
Requires practitioners prescribing an opioid to encourage the patient (and parents or guardian
when applicable) to obtain an opioid antagonist
§ 7 — STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HEALTH CARE CAREER
PROMOTION
Requires the education commissioner to use an existing plan to promote health care careers and
provide health care job shadowing and internship experiences; requires the commissioner to give
the plan to school boards and support its implementation
§ 8 — HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE WORKING GROU P
Requires OWS to convene a working group to develop recommendations to expand the state’s
health care workforce O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 2 of 32
§§ 9 & 10 — HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS SERVING AS ADJUNCT
FACULTY
Requires public higher education institutions to consider any licensed health care provider with at
least 10 years of clinical experience to be qualified for an adjunct faculty position;
correspondingly requires OHE, within available appropriations, to establish a program providing
incentive grants to these providers who become adjunct professors
§ 11 — PERSONAL CARE ATTENDANT CAREER PA THWAYS PROGRAM
Requires DSS to establish a PCA career pathways program, including both basic and specialized
skills pathways, to improve PCAs’ quality of care and incentivize their recruitment and retention
in the state
§ 12 — HOSPITAL PRIVILEGES
Prohibits hospitals, for purposes of granting practice privileges, from requiring (1) board-eligible
physicians to become board certified until five years after becoming board eligible or (2) board
certified physicians to provide credentials of board recertification
§§ 13-15 — PHYSICIAN, APRN, OR PA NON-COMPETE CLAUSES
Specifies that a physician’s primary practice site, for purposes of limitations on non-compete
agreements, is determined by the parties to the agreement in all cases; places additional
limitations on physician non-compete clauses when the physician does not agree to a material
change to the compensation terms in the employment contract, except for certain group practices;
generally extends to APRN or PA non-compete clauses the limitations that apply to physician non-
compete clauses under existing law and the act
§ 16 — PHYSICAL THERAPY LICENSURE COMPAC T
Enters Connecticut into the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, which provides a process
authorizing physical therapists or physical therapy assistants properly credentialed in one
member state to practice across state boundaries without requiring licensure in each state
§ 17 — BACKGROUND CH ECKS FOR PT AND PT ASSISTANT
LICENSURE
Requires PT and PT assistant licensure applicants to complete a fingerprint-based criminal
background check
§ 18 — PODIATRIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE WORKING GROUP
Requires DPH to establish a working group to advise the department and any relevant scope of
practice review committee on podiatrists’ scope of practice relating to surgical procedures
§§ 19 & 20 — APRN LICENSURE BY ENDORSEME NT AND
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
Allows for licensure by endorsement for APRNs who have (1) practiced for at least three years in
another state with practice requirements that are substantially similar to, or higher than,
Connecticut’s and (2) no disciplinary history or unresolved complaints pending; correspondingly
allows these APRNs to count their out-of-state practice toward the existing requirement of three
years’ practice in collaboration with a physician before practicing independently
§ 21 — SPLASH PAD AND SPRAY PARK WARNING SIGNS
Requires splash pad and spray park owners or operators to post warning signs about the potential
health risk of ingesting recirculated water O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 3 of 32
§ 22 — LPN EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM
Allows higher education institutions, under certain conditions, to apply to the state nursing board
to create a pilot program for licensed practical nurse education and training, and grants the
program full approval if it meets specified requirements for two years
§ 23 — RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS FOR CLINICAL ROTATION
TRAINING
Allows OHE to enter into a reciprocity agreement with neighboring states about clinical training
credit at higher education institutions
§ 24 — COMMISSION ON COMMUNITY GUN VIOLE NCE
INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION
Specifies that any subcommission, advisory group, or other entity that existing law allows the
Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention to create may focus on
issues related to providing home health care and services to people affected by gun violence
§§ 25 & 26 — MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH TOOL KIT AND
PERINATAL MOOD AND A NXIETY DISORDER TRAINING
Requires DPH, in consultation with DMHAS and certain other organizations, to develop a
maternal mental health toolkit for providers and patients, including on perinatal mood and
anxiety disorders; requires hospitals to include training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
as part of their regular training for certain staff members
§ 27 — EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CROWDING W ORKING GROUP
Requires the DPH commissioner to convene a working group to advise her on how to alleviate
emergency department crowding and the lack of available beds
§ 28 — PSYCHOSIS TASK FORCE
Creates a task force to study childhood and adult psychosis
§§ 29-34 — EVALUATIONS AND REPORTS RELATED TO PARENTING
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
Requires DCF, DMHAS, and DSS to evaluate or report on various supports and related issues for
parents, other child caregivers, or pregnant individuals with substance use disorder
§ 35 — OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND ADVISORY C OMMITTEE
Adds eight members to the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee
§ 36 — EMS DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
Requires EMS organizations, in their quarterly data reporting, to include the reasons for 9-1-1
calls; requires the DPH commissioner to annually submit EMS data to the Public Health
Committee and expands the reporting requirement to include data on EMS personnel shortages
§ 37 — RURAL HEALTH TASK FORCE
Creates a task force to study rural health issues
§ 38 — HEALTH CARE MAGNET SCHOOL STUDY O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 4 of 32
Requires the education commissioner, in consultation with the DPH and labor commissioners, to
study the feasibility of establishing an interdistrict magnet school program focused on training
students for health care professions
§ 39 — COMMUNICATION ACCESS STUDY
Requires the aging and disability services commissioner, in consultation with the Advisory Board
for Persons Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind, to evaluate gaps in these individuals’
access to communication with medical providers
§§ 40 & 41 — DENTAL ASSISTANTS
Provides an alternate way for dental assistants to qualify to take dental x-rays, by passing a
competency assessment rather than a national exam, and requires UConn’s School of Dental
Medicine to develop the assessment by January 1, 2025
§ 42 — EPINEPHRINE ADMINISTRATION BY EMS PERSONNEL
Requires EMS personnel, under specified conditions, to administer epinephrine using automatic
prefilled cartridge injectors, similar automatic injectable equipment, or prefilled vials and
syringes
§ 43 — MEDICAL RECORDS REQUESTS
Generally sets deadlines for licensed health care institutions to send electronic copies of patient
medical records to another institution upon request
§ 44 — MEDICAL IMAGING AND RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTITIONER
SHORTAGE TASK FORCE
Creates a task force to study how to address the state’s shortage of radiologic technologists,
nuclear medicine technologists, and respiratory care practitioners
§§ 45 & 46 — BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR PHYSICIAN AND
PSYCHOLOGIST LICENSURE APPLICANTS
Requires psychologist licensure applicants, and physician licensure applicants who wish to be
licensed in other states, to submit to a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history
records check by DESPP, allowing them to participate in certain interstate compacts
§ 1 — ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY A ND ASSISTED
REPRODUCTION
Prohibits anyone from barring or unreasonably limiting (1) anyone from accessing ART or
assisted reproduction or (2) authorized providers from performing these procedures
The act prohibits any person or entity from prohibiting or unreasonably limiting
someone from doing the following:
1. accessing assisted reproductive technology (ART) or assisted reproduction;
2. continuing or completing an ongoing ART or assisted reproduction
treatment or procedure under a written plan or agreement with a health care
provider; or
3. retaining all rights on the use of reproductive genetic materials such as
gametes. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 5 of 32
The act also bars anyone from prohibiting or unreasonably limiting a health care
provider who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to perform ART or
assisted reproduction treatments or procedures from (1) doing so or (2) providing
evidence-based information related to ART or assisted reproduction.
Under the act, “assisted reproductive technology” includes all treatments or
procedures in which human oocytes (i.e., cells that develop into eggs) or embryos
are handled, such as (1) in vitro fertilization (IVF) and (2) gamete or zygote
intrafallopian transfer (see 42 U.S.C. § 263a-7). “Assisted reproduction” is a
method of causing pregnancy other than sexual intercourse and includes (1)
intrauterine, intracervical, or vaginal insemination; (2) donation of gametes or
embryos; (3) IVF and embryo transfer; and (4) intracytoplasmic sperm injection
(see CGS § 46b-451).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 2 — MEDICAID FUNDING FOR L ONG-ACTING REVERSIBL E
CONTRACEPTIVES
Conforms to existing DSS policy by requiring Medicaid coverage for same-day access to long-
acting reversible contraceptives at federally qualified health centers
The act requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioner to
adjust Medicaid reimbursement criteria to cover same-day access to long-acting,
reversible contraceptives at federally qualified health centers. In doing so, the act
conforms to current DSS policy.
The act defines this type of contraceptive as any contraception method that does
not have to be used more than once per menstrual cycle or per month.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 3 & 4 — DRUG USE HARM REDUCTION CENTE RS
Requires DMHAS, by July 1, 2027, to create a pilot program establishing harm reduction centers
where people with substance use disorder can access counseling, receive and use fentanyl or
xylazine test strips, and receive various other services; exempts the centers from DPH regulation
until after the pilot program ends; exempts the centers from needing CON approval
The act requires the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
(DMHAS), by July 1, 2027, and in consultation with the Department of Public
Health (DPH), to create a pilot program consisting of harm reduction centers to
prevent drug overdoses. Under the act, these centers must be established in three
municipalities the DMHAS commissioner chooses, subject to their chief elected
officials’ approval. The act allows the DMHAS commissioner to request Opioid
Settlement Fund disbursements to partially or fully fund the program.
For this purpose, “harm reduction centers” are medical facilities where a person
with a substance use disorder may (1) receive various services, such as counseling,
treatment referrals, and access to basic support services and (2) use test strips to test
a substance for fentanyl or certain other substances (see below).
Under the act, these centers must employ, among others, licensed providers O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 6 of 32
with experience treating people with substance use disorders. The DMHAS
commissioner determines the staffing level. The act specifies that a health care
provider’s participation in the pilot program is not grounds for disciplinary action
by DPH or professional licensing boards within the department.
Under the act, these centers are not subject to DPH regulation until after the
pilot program ends. The act also exempts centers established through the pilot
program from the requirement to obtain certificate of need (CON) approval from
the Office of Health Strategy (§ 4).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Harm Reduction Center Services and Providers
The act requires harm reduction centers under the pilot program to offer the
following services to people with a substance use disorder:
1. substance use disorder and other mental health counseling;
2. use of test strips to prevent accidental overdose (see below);
3. educational information about opioid antagonists and the risks of
contracting diseases from sharing hypodermic needles;
4. referrals to substance use disorder treatment services; and
5. access to basic support services, including laundry machines, a bathroom, a
shower, and a place to rest.
The act requires the centers to offer test strips upon the person’s request and
allow the use of test strips at the center. The purpose of the strips is to test a
substance, before injecting, inhaling, or ingesting it, for traces of fentanyl, xylazine,
or any other substance that the DMHAS commissioner recognizes as having a high
risk of causing an overdose. (Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer that is sometimes
mixed with fentanyl in illegal drug sales.)
The act requires the centers’ employees to include licensed providers with
experience treating people with substance use disorders. These providers must (1)
provide substance use disorder or other mental health counseling services and (2)
monitor people using the center and provide treatment to those experiencing
overdose symptoms. The centers must provide referrals for counseling or other
mental health or medical treatment services that may be appropriate.
§ 5 — OPIOID ANTAGONISTS
Creates an Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund, which DMHAS must use to give opioid
antagonists to municipalities, EMS organizations, and other eligible entities; correspondingly
requires EMS personnel to provide kits with opioid antagonists and an opioid-related fact sheet to
certain patients
The act creates an Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund as a separate,
nonlapsing General Fund account. Starting by January 1, 2024, DMHAS, in
collaboration with DPH, must use the account’s funds to provide opioid antagonists
to eligible entities (see below) and for emergency medical services (EMS)
personnel to give this medication to certain members of the public. Relatedly, it
requires EMS personnel to give kits with opioid antagonists and related information O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 7 of 32
to certain patients or their family members, caregivers, or friends.
The act also requires related annual reporting and the inclusion of program
information in the state’s substance use disorder plan.
As under existing law, an opioid antagonist is naloxone hydrochloride (e.g.,
Narcan) or any other similarly acting and equally safe drug that the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved for treating a drug overdose.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023
Eligible Entities
Under the act, DMHAS must use the account’s funds to provide opioid
antagonists to “eligible entities,” which are (1) municipalities, (2) local and regional
boards of education, (3) similar bodies governing nonpublic schools, (4) district
and municipal health departments, (5) law enforcement agencies, and (6) EMS
organizations. The DMHAS commissioner, within available appropriations, may
contract with a drug wholesaler or distributer to purchase and distribute opioid
antagonists in bulk to eligible entities through the program.
The act requires eligible entities to make these bulk-purchased opioid
antagonists available for free to family members, caregivers, or friends of people
who experienced an opioid overdose or showed overdose symptoms.
Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund
The act requires the state treasurer to administer the Bulk Purchase Fund
account. The account must contain (1) any state appropriations or other state money
made available for the fund’s purposes; (2) moneys required by law to be deposited
into the account; (3) gifts, grants, donations, or bequests directed to it; and (4) the
account’s investment earnings. Any balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year
must be carried forward.
DMHAS must use the funds to provide opioid antagonists as specified above,
except the department may use up to 2% of the account’s deposits in any fiscal year
for related administrative expenses.
EMS-Provided Opioid Antagonist Kits
Under the act, EMS personnel must distribute opioid antagonist kits with a
personal supply of this medication and a one-page fact sheet to patients who (1)
they are treating for an opioid overdose, (2) show symptoms of opioid use disorder,
or (3) are treated at a location where the personnel observe evidence of illicit use
of opioids. The personnel must give the kits to the patients themselves or their
family members, caregivers, or friends who are at the location.
EMS personnel must use the fact sheet that existing law requires the state’s
Alcohol and Drug Policy Council to develop that contains information on the risks
of taking an opioid drug, symptoms of opioid use disorder, and available in-state
services for people who experience symptoms of, or are otherwise affected by,
opioid use disorder. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 8 of 32
The act requires the personnel, as they find appropriate, to refer the patient (or
their family member, caregiver, or friend) to the written instructions on
administering the opioid antagonist.
For these purposes, EMS personnel include emergency medical responders,
emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced EMTs, EMS instructors, and
paramedics. The act requires them to document the number of kits they distribute
through the program, including the number of doses of opioid antagonists in each
kit.
The act allows EMS organizations to obtain opioid antagonists from
pharmacists to distribute through the program. The organizations may obtain them,
following existing procedures, through a qualified pharmacist’s prescription,
standing order, or distribution agreement with the pharmacist.
DPH’s Office of Emergency Medical Services Annual Report
Starting by January 1, 2025, the act requires the executive director of DPH’s
Office of Emergency Medical Services to annually report to DMHAS on the
implementation of the above EMS-related provisions. This includes any
information known to the executive director that must be included in the DMHAS
substance use disorder plan under the act (see below).
State Substance Use Disorder Plan
By law, the DMHAS commissioner must (1) develop and implement a
comprehensive state substance use disorder plan and (2) update the plan every three
years. The act requires her to include the following information in the plan:
1. the amount of funds used to buy and distribute opioid antagonists;
2. the number of eligible entities receiving opioid antagonists under these
provisions;
3. the amount of opioid antagonists purchased and, if known by DMHAS, how
the entities used them; and
4. any recommendations for the Bulk Purchase Fund, including proposed
legislation to facilitate the act’s purposes.
§ 6 — ENCOURAGING PATIENTS TO OBTAIN OPIOID ANTAGONISTS
Requires practitioners prescribing an opioid to encourage the patient (and parents or guardian
when applicable) to obtain an opioid antagonist
The act requires prescribing practitioners, when prescribing an opioid to an
adult or minor patient, to encourage the patient to obtain an opioid antagonist. If
the patient is a minor, the prescriber must also encourage the patient’s custodial
parent, guardian, or other person with legal custody to obtain an opioid antagonist
if they are present when the prescription is being issued.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 9 of 32
§ 7 — STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HEALTH CAR E CAREER
PROMOTION
Requires the education commissioner to use an existing plan to promote health care careers and
provide health care job shadowing and internship experiences; requires the commissioner to give
the plan to school boards and support its implementation
Existing law required the state’s chief workforce officer, in consultation with
various stakeholders, to develop a plan to work with high schools in the state to
encourage students to pursue high-demand health care professions (e.g., nursing
and behavioral and mental health care).
The act requires the education commissioner, in collaboration with the chief
workforce officer, to use this plan in (1) promoting health care professions as career
options to middle and high school students and (2) health care job shadowing and
internship experiences for high school students.
The commissioner must promote these professions through (1) career day
presentations; (2) developing partnerships with in-state health care career education
programs; and (3) creating counseling programs to inform high school students
about, and recruit them for, health care professions.
By September 1, 2023, the education commissioner must (1) provide the plan
to each local and regional school board and (2) support the plan’s implementation
using the governor’s Workforce Council Education Committee.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 8 — HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE WORKING GROU P
Requires OWS to convene a working group to develop recommendations to expand the state’s
health care workforce
The act requires the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS) to convene a working
group to develop recommendations for expanding the health care workforce in the
state. The group must evaluate the following:
1. the quality of in-state education and clinical training programs for nurses
and nurse’s aides;
2. the potential for increasing the number of these clinical training sites;
3. the expansion of these clinical training facilities;
4. barriers to recruit and retain health care providers, including nurses and
nurse’s aides;
5. the impact of the state health care staffing shortage on health care service
delivery, the public’s access to these services, and service wait times; and
6. the impact of federal and state reimbursement for the costs of health care
services on the public’s access to them.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Working Group Membership and Procedures
Under the act, the working group consists of the following members: O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 10 of 32
1. two representatives of a labor organization representing acute care hospital
workers in the state;
2. two representatives of a labor organization representing nurses and nurse’s
aides employed by the state or an in-state hospital or long-term care facility;
3. two representatives of a labor organization representing faculty and
professional staff at the regional community-technical colleges;
4. the chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) and
the presidents of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and
UConn, or their designees;
5. one member of the UConn Health Center’s administration;
6. two representatives of the Connecticut Conference of Independent
Colleges;
7. the DPH, DSS, and Department of Administrative Services commissioners,
or their designees;
8. the Office of Policy and Management secretary, or his designee;
9. a representative of the State Board of Examiners for Nursing;
10. a representative of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition; and
11. the chairpersons and ranking members of the Higher Education and
Employment Advancement and Public Health committees, or their
designees.
The act requires the DPH commissioner and BOR chairperson, or their
designees, to serve as the working group’s chairpersons. They must schedule the
first meeting, which must be held by August 27, 2023.
Reporting Requirement
The act requires the working group to report to the Higher Education and
Employment Advancement and Public Health committees by January 1, 2024. The
group must report its findings and any recommendations to improve recruiting and
retaining health care providers in the state, including a five-year and 10-year plan
to increase the state’s health care workforce.
The group ends when it submits its report or on January 1, 2024, whichever is
later.
§§ 9 & 10 — HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS SERVIN G AS ADJUNCT
FACULTY
Requires public higher education institutions to consider any licensed health care provider with at
least 10 years of clinical experience to be qualified for an adjunct faculty position;
correspondingly requires OHE, within available appropriations, to establish a program providing
incentive grants to these providers who become adjunct professors
Beginning January 1, 2024, the act requires public higher education institutions
to consider any licensed health care providers applying for an adjunct faculty
position in their field to be qualified if they have at least 10 years of clinical
experience. Under the act, the institutions must give them the same consideration
as other qualified applicants. These provisions apply to UConn, the Connecticut O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 11 of 32
State Universities, the regional community-technical colleges, and Charter Oak
State College.
Under the act, by January 1, 2024, and within available appropriations, the
Office of Higher Education (OHE) must establish and administer a program giving
$20,000 incentive grants to licensed health care providers accepting adjunct
professor positions under the provisions described above if they remain in the
position for at least one academic year. These providers are eligible for another
$20,000 grant if they remain in the position for at least two academic years. OHE’s
executive director must establish the application process.
The act requires the executive director, starting by January 1, 2025, to annually
report on the program to the Public Health Committee. The director must report on
(1) the number and demographics of the adjunct professors who applied for and
received program grants, (2) their employing institutions and the number and types
of classes they taught, and (3) any other information he considers pertinent.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Related Act
PA 23-204, §§ 132 & 133, contain identical provisions on health care providers
serving as adjunct faculty and a related grant program.
§ 11 — PERSONAL CARE ATTENDANT CAREER PA THWAYS PROGRAM
Requires DSS to establish a PCA career pathways program, including both basic and specialized
skills pathways, to improve PCAs’ quality of care and incentivize their recruitment and retention
in the state
The act requires DSS, by January 1, 2024, to establish and administer a career
pathways program for personal care attendants (PCAs). The program’s purpose is
to improve PCAs’ quality of care and incentivize their recruitment and retention in
the state.
PCAs provide in-home and community-based personal care assistance and
other non-professional services to the elderly and people with disabilities. The act
allows PCAs who are not employed by a consumer (i.e., a person receiving services
under a state-funded program), but eligible for this employment, to participate in
the career pathways program after completing a DSS-developed orientation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Program Objectives
The act requires the program to include at least the following objectives:
1. increasing PCAs’ retention and recruitment to maintain a stable workforce
for consumers, including by creating career pathways that improve PCAs’
skill and knowledge and increase their wages;
2. dignity in how PCAs provide care, and how consumers receive it, through
meaningful collaboration between them;
3. improving the quality of personal care assistance and the consumers’ overall O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 12 of 32
quality of life;
4. advancing equity in personal care assistance;
5. promoting a culturally and linguistically competent PCA workforce to serve
the growing racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of an aging consumer
population; and
6. promoting self-determination principles for PCAs.
Program Components
Under the act, the DSS commissioner must offer the following pathways under
the program:
1. the basic skills career pathways, including general health and safety and
adult education topics; and
2. the specialized skills career pathways, including cognitive impairments and
behavioral health, complex physical care needs, and transitioning to home-
and community-based living from out-of-home care or homelessness.
The commissioner must develop or identify the training curriculum for each
pathway. In doing so, she must consult with a hospital’s or health care
organization’s labor management committee.
Reporting Requirement
By January 1, 2025, the act requires the commissioner to report to the Human
Services and Public Health committees on the following program information:
1. the number of enrolled PCAs and the pathways they chose;
2. the number of PCAs who completed a career pathway, by pathway type;
3. the program’s effectiveness, as determined by surveys, focus groups, and
interviews of PCAs, and whether completing the program led to (a) a related
license or certificate or (b) continued employment for each PCA; and
4. the number of PCAs employed by consumers with specialized care needs
after completing a specialized career pathway and whom the consumer kept
employed for at least (a) six months and (b) 12 months.
§ 12 — HOSPITAL PRIVILEGES
Prohibits hospitals, for purposes of granting practice privileges, from requiring (1) board-eligible
physicians to become board certified until five years after becoming board eligible or (2) board
certified physicians to provide credentials of board recertification
When granting practice privileges, the act prohibits hospitals (and their
medical review committees) from requiring (1) board-eligible physicians to
become board certified until five years after they are eligible to do so or (2) board-
certified physicians to provide credentials of board recertification (to obtain or keep
their practice privileges).
Under the act, a physician is “board eligible” after graduating from medical
school, completing a residency program, training under supervision in a specialty
fellowship program, and then being eligible to take a medical specialty board’s O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 13 of 32
qualifying examination. A physician is “board certified” after passing such an exam
to become board certified in a particular specialty.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023
§§ 13-15 — PHYSICIAN, APRN, OR PA NON-COMPETE CLAUSES
Specifies that a physician’s primary practice site, for purposes of limitations on non-compete
agreements, is determined by the parties to the agreement in all cases; places additional
limitations on physician non-compete clauses when the physician does not agree to a material
change to the compensation terms in the employment contract, except for certain group practices;
generally extends to APRN or PA non-compete clauses the limitations that apply to physician non-
compete clauses under existing law and the act
Existing law sets limits on physician non-compete agreements (“covenants not
to compete”), including that they may extend for no more than one year and not
beyond a 15-mile radius from the physician’s primary practice site. For this
purpose, prior law defined this site as (1) the office, facility, or other location from
where a majority of the revenue from the physician’s services was generated or (2)
any other office, facility, or location where the physician practices and the parties
identified as the primary site by mutual agreement in the non-compete agreement.
The act instead defines the primary site as any single office, facility, or location
where the physician practices, as mutually agreed to by the parties and defined in
the non-compete agreement.
The act additionally provides that physician non-compete agreements entered
into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after October 1, 2023, are generally
unenforceable under the following circumstances:
1. when the physician does not agree to a proposed material change to the
compensation terms of the employment contract or agreement (or similar
professional arrangement) before or when it is extended or renewed and
2. when the contract or agreement expires and is not renewed by the employer,
or when the employer terminates the employment or contractual
relationship, unless the employer terminates it for cause.
This new limitation does not apply if the agreement is between a physician and
a group practice of up to 35 physicians where physicians own the majority of the
practice.
The act also extends the law on physician non-compete clauses, including the
act’s changes (except for the group practice exception described above), to
advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) or physician assistant (PA) non-
compete agreements entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after
October 1, 2023.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
APRN or PA Non-Compete Agreements
Prior law did not specifically limit APRN or PA non-compete agreements. In
practice, courts generally consider certain factors when assessing whether a
particular non-compete agreement is reasonable, such as its duration and O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 14 of 32
geographical scope.
The act generally applies the same statutory conditions and limitations for
physician non-compete agreements under existing law and the act to APRN or PA
non-compete clauses entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after
October 1, 2023.
Definitions. The act defines “covenant not to compete” for APRNs and PAs in
a way that is substantially similar to the definition in existing law that applies to
physicians. Under the act, an APRN or PA “covenant not to compete” is any
provision of an employment or other contract or agreement that establishes a
professional relationship with an APRN or PA, respectively, and restricts their right
to practice in any area of the state for any period after the end of the partnership,
employment, or other professional relationship.
It also defines the primary practice site in the same manner as for physicians.
Under the act, the primary site where an APRN or PA practices is any single office,
facility, or location where the person practices, as mutually agreed to by the parties
and defined in the non-compete agreement.
Conditions and Limitations. Under the act, an APRN or PA covenant not to
compete is valid and enforceable only if it is (1) necessary to protect a legitimate
business interest; (2) reasonably limited in time, geographic scope, and practice
restrictions as needed to protect that interest; and (3) otherwise consistent with the
law and public policy. (These factors are similar to those under the common law.)
The act specifically prohibits these covenants from restricting an APRN’s or
PA’s competitive activities for longer than one year and beyond 15 miles from the
primary site where the APRN or PA practices.
The act further provides that these covenants are unenforceable against the
APRN or PA under the following circumstances:
1. the employer terminates the employment or contractual relationship without
cause or
2. the (a) employment contract or agreement was not made in anticipation of,
or as part of, a partnership or ownership agreement and (b) contract or
agreement expires and is not renewed, unless before the expiration the
employer made a bona fide offer to renew the contract on the same or
similar terms.
It also provides that these agreements are unenforceable against the provider in
the following situations:
1. the APRN or PA does not agree to a proposed material change to the
compensation terms of the employment contract or agreement (or similar
professional arrangement) before or when it is extended or renewed and
2. the contract or agreement expires and is not renewed by the employer, or
the employer terminates the employment or contractual relationship, unless
the termination is for cause.
Under the act, each covenant must be separately and individually signed by the
APRN or PA.
Other Contract Provisions and Burden of Proof. If a covenant is rendered void
and unenforceable under the act, the remaining provisions of the contract remain in
full force and effect. This includes provisions requiring the payment of damages O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 15 of 32
for injuries suffered due to the contract’s termination.
The act specifies that the party seeking to enforce an APRN or PA covenant not
to compete bears the burden of proof at any proceeding.
§ 16 — PHYSICAL THERAPY LICENSURE COMPAC T
Enters Connecticut into the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, which provides a process
authorizing physical therapists or physical therapy assistants properly credentialed in one
member state to practice across state boundaries without requiring licensure in each state
The act enters Connecticut into the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact. The
compact creates a process authorizing physical therapists (PTs) and PT assistants
who are appropriately licensed or certified in one member state to practice across
state boundaries without requiring licensure or certification in each state. Member
states must grant the “compact privilege” (i.e., the authority to practice in the state)
to people holding a valid, unencumbered license who otherwise meet the compact’s
eligibility requirements. The compact is administered by the PT Compact
Commission, which Connecticut joins under the act.
Among various other provisions, the compact does the following:
1. sets eligibility criteria for states to join the compact and for PTs or PT
assistants to practice under it;
2. addresses several matters related to disciplinary actions for licensees
practicing under the compact, such as information sharing among member
states and removal of compact privileges;
3. provides that amendments to the compact only take effect if all member
states adopt them into law; and
4. outlines a process for states to withdraw from the compact.
A broad overview of the compact appears below.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Compact Overview
The PT Compact creates a process authorizing PTs and PT assistants to work
in multiple states if they are licensed (for PTs) or licensed or certified (for PT
assistants) in one member state. A “licensee” is someone currently authorized by a
state to practice as a PT or PT assistant.
Under the compact, a “state” is a U.S. state, commonwealth, district, or territory
that regulates physical therapy. A “member state” is a state that has joined the
compact.
A “home state” is the member state that is the licensee’s primary state of
residence. A “remote state” is a member state, other than the home state, where a
licensee is exercising or seeking to exercise the compact privilege.
The compact allows active-duty military personnel or their spouses to designate
as their home state their (1) home of record, (2) permanent change of station, or (3)
state of current residence if different from either of those.
The “compact privilege” is a remote state’s authorization to allow a licensee
from another member state to practice in the remote state under its laws and rules. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 16 of 32
The compact specifies that PT practice occurs in the member state where the patient
or client is located.
State Eligibility (§ 16(3))
To participate in the compact, a state must do the following:
1. participate fully in the commission’s licensee data system, including using
the commission’s unique identifier;
2. have a mechanism to receive and investigate complaints about licensees;
3. notify the commission, in compliance with the compact’s terms and rules,
about any adverse action (i.e., board disciplinary action for misconduct or
unacceptable performance) or the availability of investigative information
about a licensee;
4. fully implement a criminal background check requirement, within deadlines
set by rule, by receiving FBI search results and using that information in
making licensure decisions (see below and § 17);
5. comply with the commission’s rules;
6. require passage of a recognized national examination for licensure under
the commission’s rules; and
7. require continuing competence (e.g., continuing education) for license
renewal.
Upon joining the compact, member states must have the authority to get
biometric-based information from each PT licensure applicant and submit it to the
FBI for a criminal record check.
Individual Compact Privilege (§ 16(3) & (4))
The compact requires member states to grant, under the compact’s terms and
rules, the compact privilege to a licensee holding a valid, unencumbered license in
another member state. Member states may charge a fee for granting the privilege.
To exercise the compact privilege, licensees must meet the following
requirements:
1. be licensed in their home state;
2. have no encumbrance on any state license;
3. be eligible for a compact privilege in any member state, under the compact’s
provisions on remote states’ authority to remove that privilege (see next
subheading);
4. have no adverse action against any license or compact privilege within the
prior two years;
5. notify the commission that they are seeking the compact privilege in one or
more remote states;
6. pay any state fees or other applicable fees for the compact privilege;
7. meet any applicable remote states’ jurisprudence requirements (i.e.,
assessment of knowledge of PT practice laws and rules for that state); and
8. report to the commission within 30 days after being subject to adverse
action by any non-member state. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 17 of 32
Under the compact, the privilege is valid until the home license expires.
Licensees must comply with the above requirements to maintain the privilege in
the remote state.
Respective States’ Authority, Adverse Actions, and Data System (§ 16(4), (6) &
(8))
The compact addresses several matters related to states’ authority to investigate
and discipline licensees practicing under its procedures. Broadly, the compact
maintains the home state’s authority to regulate the home state license and grants
the remote state the authority to regulate the compact privilege in that state, each
according to its own regulatory structure. Additionally, a home state may take
action against a licensee based on investigative information from a remote state.
The following are examples of the regulatory structure under the compact:
1. A home state has exclusive authority to impose adverse action against a
home state license, but a remote state may remove a licensee’s compact
privilege, investigate and issue subpoenas, impose fines, and take other
necessary action.
2. If allowed by their law, remote states may recover from the licensee any
investigation and disposition costs for cases leading to adverse actions.
3. If a licensee’s home state license is encumbered or remote state privilege is
removed, he or she cannot regain the compact privilege in any remote state
until (a) the encumbrance is lifted or the removal period passes, (b) two
years have passed since the adverse action, (c) any fines have been paid for
remote state removals, and (d) the licensee otherwise meets the compact’s
eligibility requirements.
4. Member states may allow licensees to participate in an alternative program
(e.g., for substance abuse) rather than imposing an adverse action, but the
state must require the licensee to get prior authorization from another
member state before practicing in that state during this period.
5. Any member state may investigate actual or alleged violations in other
member states where a licensee holds a license or compact privilege.
Member states must submit the same information on licensees for inclusion in
a database the compact creates, and the commission must promptly notify all
member states about any adverse action against licensees or licensure applicants.
Investigative information about a licensee is available only to states in which a
licensee holds, or is applying for, a license or compact privilege.
PT Compact Commission (§ 16(7) & (9))
The compact is administered by the PT Compact Commission, which consists
of one voting member appointed by each member state’s PT licensing board. The
compact sets forth several powers, duties, and procedures for the commission, such
as the following:
1. the authority to make rules to facilitate and coordinate the compact’s
implementation and administration (a rule has no effect if a majority of the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 18 of 32
member states’ legislatures reject it within four years after the rule’s
adoption),
2. the power to levy and collect an annual assessment from each member state
and impose fees on other parties to cover the costs of its operations, and
3. the duty to have its receipts and disbursements audited yearly and to include
the audit in the commission’s annual report.
The compact addresses several other matters regarding the commission and its
operations, such as setting conditions under which its officers and employees are
immune from civil liability. By virtue of adopting the compact, Connecticut joins
the commission.
Compact Oversight, Enforcement, Member Withdrawal, and Related Matters (§
16(10)-(12))
Among other related provisions, the compact provides the following:
1. Each member state’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches must
enforce the compact and take necessary steps to carry out its purposes.
2. The commission must take specified steps if a member state defaults on its
obligations under the compact; and, after all other means of securing
compliance have been exhausted, a defaulting state is terminated from the
compact upon a majority vote of the member states.
3. Upon a member state’s request, the commission must attempt to resolve a
compact-related dispute among member states or between member and non-
member states.
4. The commission must enforce the compact and rules and may bring legal
action against a member state in default upon a majority vote (the case may
be brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia or the
federal district where the commission’s principal offices are located).
5. A member state may withdraw from the compact by repealing that state’s
enabling legislation, but withdrawal does not take effect until six months
after the repealing statute’s enactment.
6. The member states may amend the compact, but no amendment takes effect
until all member states enact it into law.
7. The compact’s provisions are severable, and its provisions must be liberally
construed to carry out its purposes; and, if the compact is held to violate a
member state’s constitution, it remains in effect in the remaining member
states.
§ 17 — BACKGROUND CH ECKS FOR PT AND PT ASSISTANT LICENSURE
Requires PT and PT assistant licensure applicants to complete a fingerprint-based criminal
background check
Under the act, the DPH commissioner must require anyone applying for PT or
PT assistant licensure to submit to a state and national fingerprint-based criminal
history records check by the Department of Emergency Services and Public
Protection (DESPP). O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 19 of 32
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 18 — PODIATRIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE WORKING GROUP
Requires DPH to establish a working group to advise the department and any relevant scope of
practice review committee on podiatrists’ scope of practice relating to surgical procedures
The act requires the DPH commissioner to establish a working group to advise
DPH and any relevant scope of practice review committee (see below) on
podiatrists’ scope of practice relating to surgical procedures. The commissioner
appoints the working group’s members, which must include at least three
podiatrists and three orthopedic surgeons.
By January 1, 2024, the working group must report its findings and
recommendations to the commissioner and any such scope of practice review
committee. By February 1, 2024, the commissioner must report to the Public Health
Committee on (1) the group’s findings and recommendations and (2) whether DPH
and any relevant scope of practice review committee agrees with them.
Existing law has a process for DPH to review requests from representatives of
health care professions seeking to establish or revise a scope of practice before
consideration by the legislature. DPH selects the requests it will act upon and,
within available appropriations, appoints members to scope of practice review
committees, whose members include representatives from the profession making
the request and other professions directly impacted by it (CGS § 19a-16e).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 19 & 20 — APRN LICENSURE BY ENDORSEME NT AND INDEPENDENT
PRACTICE
Allows for licensure by endorsement for APRNs who have (1) practiced for at least three years in
another state with practice requirements that are substantially similar to, or higher than,
Connecticut’s and (2) no disciplinary history or unresolved complaints pending; correspondingly
allows these APRNs to count their out-of-state practice toward the existing requirement of three
years’ practice in collaboration with a physician before practicing independently
The act allows APRNs with certain experience who are not otherwise eligible
to apply for licensure in Connecticut to apply for licensure by endorsement. To be
eligible, the applicant must give DPH satisfactory evidence that he or she has (1)
practiced for at least three years as an APRN (or similar services under a different
designation) in another state or jurisdiction and (2) no disciplinary actions or
unresolved complaints pending. The other jurisdiction must have requirements for
practicing that are substantially similar to, or higher than, Connecticut’s.
The act requires these applicants to pay a $200 fee as existing law requires for
other APRN licensure applicants.
By law, APRNs must practice in collaboration with a physician for the first
three years after becoming licensed in the state. They may practice independently
once they have been licensed and practicing in collaboration with a physician for
at least three years with at least 2,000 hours of practice. The act allows APRNs who
are licensed by endorsement under the above procedures to count their prior out- O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 20 of 32
of-state practice toward this three-year requirement if that practice was under
collaboration with a physician licensed in another state and otherwise meets
existing law’s requirements. APRNs who meet these requirements may practice
independently.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023
§ 21 — SPLASH PAD AND SPRAY PARK WARNING SIGNS
Requires splash pad and spray park owners or operators to post warning signs about the potential
health risk of ingesting recirculated water
The act requires owners or operators of splash pads and spray parks where water
is recirculated to post a sign stating that the water is recirculated and warning of the
potential health risk to people ingesting it. They must post the sign by January 1,
2024, in a conspicuous place at or near the entrance.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 22 — LPN EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM
Allows higher education institutions, under certain conditions, to apply to the state nursing board
to create a pilot program for licensed practical nurse education and training, and grants the
program full approval if it meets specified requirements for two years
The act allows certain public or independent higher education institutions, by
January 30, 2024, to apply to the State Board of Examiners for Nursing to create a
pilot program offering licensed practical nursing (LPN) education and training. To
be eligible, the institution must (1) maintain accreditation as a degree-granting
institution in good standing by a regional accrediting association recognized by the
federal Department of Education and (2) offer, or be seeking state approval to offer,
a nursing program approved by OHE.
Under the act, an institution that applies to the nursing board to establish a pilot
program must give the board the following information in writing at least 60 days
before the proposed program start date:
1. identifying information about the pilot program, including its name,
address, contact information, and responsible party;
2. a program description, including accreditation status, any clinical partner,
and anticipated enrollment by academic term;
3. identified resources to support the program;
4. graduation rates and National Council Licensure Examination licensure and
certification pass rates for the past three years for any existing nursing
programs the institution offers;
5. a plan for employing qualified faculty and administrators and clinical
experiences; and
6. other information as the board requests.
If the institution gives this information, the nursing board must review and
consider the program application. The board may hold a public hearing on it.
Under the act, the pilot program must comply with relevant provisions of the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 21 of 32
state’s Nurse Practice Act (chapter 378) and regulations on nursing education
programs. Despite existing law on OHE approval of higher education programs, the
pilot program is deemed fully approved by the nursing board if it (1) meets these
requirements for two years and (2) provides evidence that the program is meeting
its educational outcomes as defined in state regulation (e.g., an average passage rate
of at least 80% for first-time takers of the required licensure examination).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 23 — RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS FOR CLINIC AL ROTATION
TRAINING
Allows OHE to enter into a reciprocity agreement with neighboring states about clinical training
credit at higher education institutions
The act allows OHE to enter into a reciprocity agreement with one or more
neighboring states about clinical training credit at higher education institutions.
Under the agreement, the other state could allow students attending a higher
education institution in that state to train in a clinical rotation for credit in
Connecticut, so long as the state also allows a student attending a Connecticut
higher education institution to train in a clinical rotation for credit in the other state.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 24 — COMMISSION ON COMMUNITY GUN VIOLE NCE INTERVENTION
AND PREVENTION
Specifies that any subcommission, advisory group, or other entity that existing law allows the
Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention to create may focus on
issues related to providing home health care and services to people affected by gun violence
PA 22-118 established a Commission on Community Gun Violence
Intervention and Prevention to advise the DPH commissioner on developing
evidence-based, evidenced-informed, community-centric gun programs and
strategies to reduce community gun violence in the state.
Existing law allows the commission to establish subcommissions, advisory
groups, or other entities it deems necessary to further its purposes. The act
specifically allows the commission to establish such an entity to evaluate the (1)
challenges associated with providing home health care to victims of gun violence
and (2) ways to foster a system uniting community service providers with adults
and juveniles needing supports and services to address trauma due to gun violence.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 25 & 26 — MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH TOOL KIT AND PERINATAL
MOOD AND ANXIETY DIS ORDER TRAINING
Requires DPH, in consultation with DMHAS and certain other organizations, to develop a
maternal mental health toolkit for providers and patients, including on perinatal mood and
anxiety disorders; requires hospitals to include training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
as part of their regular training for certain staff members O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 22 of 32
The act requires DPH to develop a toolkit to give information and resources on
maternal mental health to licensed health care professionals and new parents in the
state. In doing so, DPH must consult with DMHAS and organizations representing
health care facilities and licensed health care professionals.
The toolkit must at least include (1) information about perinatal mood and
anxiety disorders, including their symptoms, potential impact on families, and
treatment options; and (2) a list of licensed health care professionals, peer support
networks, and nonprofit organizations in the state that treat these disorders or
provide related support for patients and their family members. By October 1, 2023,
DPH must make the toolkit available on its website.
Starting October 1, 2023, the act also requires hospitals to include training in
perinatal mood and anxiety disorders as part of their regular training to staff
members who directly care for women who are pregnant or in the postpartum
period.
Generally, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders refer to a range of symptoms
that may occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period, such as depression and
anxiety, or in rare cases, postpartum psychosis.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except the hospital training provision takes
effect on October 1, 2023.
§ 27 — EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CROWDING WOR KING GROUP
Requires the DPH commissioner to convene a working group to advise her on how to alleviate
emergency department crowding and the lack of available beds
The act requires the DPH commissioner, by July 1, 2023, to convene a working
group to advise her on ways to ease emergency department (ED) crowding and lack
of available ED beds in the state. Specifically, the group must advise on the
following topics:
1. setting a quality measure for the timeliness of transferring patients from the
ED to hospital admission;
2. establishing ED discharge units to expedite the discharge process;
3. evaluating the percentage of ED patients held in the department after
admission and while waiting for an inpatient bed, and making a plan to
lower it; and
4. reducing liability for hospitals and their emergency physicians when ED
crowding causes significant wait times for patients seeking these services.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Working Group Membership and Procedures
Under the act, the working group may consist of the following members, among
others:
1. two emergency physicians representing the state chapter of a national
college of emergency physicians;
2. two emergency physicians who are ED directors, one from a larger hospital
system in the state and the other from an independent community hospital; O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 23 of 32
3. a primary care physician representing the state chapter of a national college
of physicians;
4. two representatives of an in-state hospital association;
5. a representative of an in-state medical society;
6. a representative of the state chapter of a national organization of emergency
nurses;
7. a representative of the state chapter of a national organization of pediatric
physicians;
8. a representative of the state chapter of a national association of psychiatrists;
9. a representative of an in-state association of nurses;
10. two nurses who are ED nurse directors, one from a larger hospital system
and the other from an independent community hospital;
11. two patient care navigators, one who works for a larger hospital system and
the other for an independent community hospital;
12. a representative of hospital patients in the state;
13. a provider of emergency medical transportation services in the state;
14. a representative of a national association of retired people;
15. the state healthcare advocate, child advocate, DMHAS commissioner, and
Department of Children and Families (DCF) commissioner, or their
designees;
16. two DPH representatives, one from the Office of Emergency Medical
Services and one from the department’s facilities licensing and
investigations section;
17. a representative of the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman;
18. two representatives from in-state nursing homes, one from a for-profit and
the other from a nonprofit;
19. one representative from the insurance industry in the state; and
20. one member of an association of trial lawyers in the state.
The act requires the DPH commissioner to select the group’s chairpersons, who
must be (1) one of the emergency physicians representing the state chapter of a
national college of emergency physicians and (2) one of the representatives of an
in-state hospital association.
Under the act, the working group’s first meeting must be held by December 1,
2023. The chairpersons may hold the first meeting even if the DPH commissioner
has not yet selected all members. If the commissioner has not selected a member
by August 1, 2023, then the chairpersons may jointly select the member.
The group must meet twice a year and at other times upon the chairpersons’
call.
Reporting Requirement
The act requires the working group to report its findings and recommendations
by January 1, 2024, and by January 1, 2025, to the DPH commissioner and Public
Health Committee.
§ 28 — PSYCHOSIS TASK FORCE
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 24 of 32
Creates a task force to study childhood and adult psychosis
The act creates a 10-member task force to study childhood and adult psychosis.
The study must examine the following:
1. in collaboration with DCF and DMHAS, establishing clinics staffed by
mental health care providers in various fields who provide comprehensive
care for children and adults experiencing early or first episode psychosis, to
prevent the symptoms from becoming disabling;
2. early evaluation of children and adults with psychosis symptoms and
management of these symptoms, including starting treatment and making
necessary referrals for additional treatment or services;
3. creating care pathways that include specialty teams that treat children and
adults experiencing early or first episode psychosis;
4. creating a statewide model for coordinating specialty care for children and
adults experiencing psychosis, as recommended by the National Institute of
Mental Health;
5. creating services for these children and adults, including collaboration on
psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, family support, education,
coordination with community support services, and collaboration with
employers and education systems; and
6. strengthening existing clinical networks that treat people experiencing
psychosis, focusing on collaborative research and outcomes.
Under the act, “psychosis” is a severe mental condition in which disruptions to
thoughts and perceptions make it difficult for a person to recognize what is real and
what is not. Affected individuals often experience these disruptions by (1) seeing,
hearing, and believing things that are not real or (2) having strange and persistent
thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, including hallucinations and delusions.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Membership and Administration
Under the act, the task force includes the DMHAS and DCF commissioners or
their designees and eight appointed members as shown in the table below.
Psychosis Task Force Appointed Members
Appointing Authority and
Number of Appointments
Appointee Qualifications
House speaker (2) A child and adolescent psychiatrist with experience
treating patients with psychosis
A clinical researcher in the field of psychosis
Senate president pro tempore (2) A psychiatrist with experience treating adults with
psychosis
A clinical researcher in the field of psychosis
House majority leader (1) A parent or guardian of a child or adolescent
treated for psychosis O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 25 of 32
Appointing Authority and
Number of Appointments
Appointee Qualifications
Senate majority leader (1) An adult treated for psychosis
House minority leader (1) A licensed mental health care provider who has
treated children or adolescents with psychosis
Senate minority leader (1) A licensed mental health care provider who has
treated adults with psychosis
Under the act, legislative appointees may be legislators. Appointing authorities
must make their initial appointments by July 28, 2023, and fill any vacancy.
The House speaker and Senate president pro tempore select the task force
chairpersons from among its members. The chairpersons must schedule the first
meeting, which must be held by August 27, 2023.
The Public Health Committee’s administrative staff serves in that capacity for
the task force.
Reporting Requirement
The act requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to
the Public Health Committee by January 1, 2024. The task force terminates when
it submits the report or on January 1, 2024, whichever is later.
§§ 29-34 — EVALUATIONS AND REPORTS RELAT ED TO PARENTING
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
Requires DCF, DMHAS, and DSS to evaluate or report on various supports and related issues for
parents, other child caregivers, or pregnant individuals with substance use disorder
The act requires DCF, DMHAS, and DSS to evaluate or report on supports,
programs, and related issues for parents, other child caregivers, or pregnant
individuals with substance use disorder.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Child Caregiver Substance Use Disorder Program Plan (§ 29)
The act requires DCF, DMHAS, and DSS to evaluate (1) substance use disorder
programs for people with this disorder who are child caregivers and (2) related
treatment barriers. In doing the evaluation, the departments must consult with direct
service providers and people with lived experience.
In consultation with these providers and people, the departments must also
make a plan to establish and implement programs that include the following
components to treat these child caregivers and their children:
1. in all geographic areas, same-day access to family-centered medication-
assisted treatment, including prenatal and perinatal care, and access to
supports that provide a bridge to the treatment;
2. intensive, in-home treatment supports; O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 26 of 32
3. gender-specific programming;
4. expanded access to residential programs for pregnant and parenting people,
including residential programs for parents who have more than one child or
who have children over age seven; and
5. access to recovery support specialists and peer support to provide care
coordination.
The act requires the commissioners, by January 1, 2024, to jointly report to the
Children’s, Human Services, and Public Health committees on the plan and
legislative recommendations needed to implement the programs.
Child Care Supports and Subsidies Plan (§ 30)
The act requires DMHAS and DSS to collaborate with the Office of Early
Childhood and create a plan to allow parents in substance use disorder treatment to
qualify for child care supports and subsidies. The DMHAS and DSS commissioners
must jointly report on the plan to the Human Services and Public Health committees
by January 1, 2024.
Supportive Housing Access (§ 31)
The act requires the DMHAS commissioner to report to the Housing, Human
Services, and Public Health committees by January 1, 2024, on access in the state
to supportive housing for pregnant and parenting people with a substance use
disorder.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Parents Involved With DCF (§ 32)
The act requires the DCF, DMHAS, and DSS commissioners to jointly report
on access for parents involved with DCF, when applicable, to appropriate substance
use disorder treatment in the state, to (1) prevent children’s removal from their
parents, when possible, and (2) support reunification when removal is necessary.
The report must consider in-home parenting and child care services to help with
safety planning during initial stages of treatment and recovery.
The commissioners must report to the Children’s, Human Services, and Public
Health committees by January 1, 2024.
Services for Pregnant and Parenting Individuals (§ 33)
The act requires the DCF, DMHAS, and DSS commissioners to jointly report
on existing substance use disorder treatment services for pregnant and parenting
people, their use, and any areas where more services are necessary. The
commissioners must report to the Public Health Committee by January 1, 2024.
Mitigating Safety Concerns for Children Whose Caregivers Have Substance Use
Disorder (§ 34)
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 27 of 32
The act requires the DCF commissioner, by January 1, 2024, to report to the
Children’s and Public Health committees on DCF’s efforts to mitigate child safety
concerns in the home when the child’s caregiver has a substance use disorder.
§ 35 — OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND ADVISORY COMMITT EE
Adds eight members to the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee
The act increases, from 37 to 45, the membership of the Opioid Settlement Fund
Advisory Committee. It does so by (1) increasing the number of governor-
appointed municipal representatives from 17 to 21; (2) adding two members with
experience supporting infants and children affected by the opioid crisis, appointed
by the DMHAS commissioner; and (3) adding the Public Health Committee
chairpersons or their designees (the designees must have experience living with a
substance use disorder or have a family member with such a disorder).
The law charges the committee with ensuring (1) that Opioid Settlement Fund
moneys are allocated and spent on specified substance use disorder abatement
purposes and (2) robust public involvement, accountability, and transparency in
allocating and accounting for the fund’s moneys.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 36 — EMS DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
Requires EMS organizations, in their quarterly data reporting, to include the reasons for 9-1-1
calls; requires the DPH commissioner to annually submit EMS data to the Public Health
Committee and expands the reporting requirement to include data on EMS personnel shortages
Existing law requires EMS organizations to report to DPH quarterly on
specified EMS call data, including the number of 9-1-1 calls received. The act
requires organizations to also report the reasons for the calls. By law, EMS
organizations must also report the (1) level of EMS required for each call; (2)
response time; (3) number of passed, cancelled, and mutual aid calls made and
received; and (4) prehospital data for unscheduled patient transport.
By law, DPH must annually report on specified data it collects to the EMS
Advisory Board. The act adds data on any EMS personnel shortages in the state to
this reporting requirement. Starting by June 1, 2024, the act requires the
commissioner to annually submit the report to the Public Health Committee as well.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023
§ 37 — RURAL HEALTH TASK FORCE
Creates a task force to study rural health issues
The act creates a task force to study rural health issues. The study must examine
(1) resources and services available to promote rural health and support health care
providers in rural areas throughout the state and (2) ways to coordinate and
streamline these resources and services. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 28 of 32
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Membership and Administration
Under the act, the task force includes the attorney general, DMHAS and DPH
commissioners, Office of Health Strategy executive director, state comptroller, or
their designees and 10 appointed members, one each appointed by the six legislative
leaders and the Public Health Committee chairpersons and ranking members.
Under the act, legislative appointees may be legislators. Appointing authorities
must make their initial appointments by July 28, 2023, and fill any vacancy.
The House speaker and Senate president pro tempore select the task force
chairpersons from among its members. The chairpersons must schedule the first
meeting, which must be held by August 27, 2023.
The Public Health Committee’s administrative staff serves in that capacity for
the task force.
Reporting Requirement
The act requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to
the Public Health Committee by January 1, 2024. The task force terminates when
it submits the report or on January 1, 2024, whichever is later.
§ 38 — HEALTH CARE MAGNET SCHOOL STUDY
Requires the education commissioner, in consultation with the DPH and labor commissioners, to
study the feasibility of establishing an interdistrict magnet school program focused on training
students for health care professions
The act requires the education commissioner, in consultation with the DPH and
labor commissioners, to study the feasibility of creating an interdistrict magnet
school program to educate and train students interested in health care professions.
This must include pathways for students to (1) graduate with a certification, license,
or registration that allows them to practice in a health care field and (2) complete a
curriculum designed to prepare them for pre-medicine or nursing higher education
programs.
By February 1, 2024, the education commissioner must report on the study to
the Public Health Committee.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 39 — COMMUNICATION ACCESS STUDY
Requires the aging and disability services commissioner, in consultation with the Advisory Board
for Persons Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind, to evaluate gaps in these individuals’
access to communication with medical providers
The act requires the aging and disability services commissioner, in consultation
with the Advisory Board for Persons Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind, O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 29 of 32
to (1) conduct a study evaluating gaps in access to communication with medical
providers for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind and (2) develop
recommendations to improve this access, including interpreting through American
Sign Language or Spanish Sign Language as applicable. By October 1, 2023, the
commissioner must report on the study to the Aging, Human Services, and Public
Health committees.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§§ 40 & 41 — DENTAL ASSISTANTS
Provides an alternate way for dental assistants to qualify to take dental x-rays, by passing a
competency assessment rather than a national exam, and requires UConn’s School of Dental
Medicine to develop the assessment by January 1, 2025
Existing law allows dentists to delegate certain procedures to dental assistants
if they are performed under the dentist’s direct supervision. Under existing law,
dentists can delegate to them the taking of dental x-rays if the assistant passed the
Dental Assisting National Board’s dental radiation health and safety exam.
The act additionally allows dentists to delegate the taking of dental x-rays to
dental assistants who have passed a radiation health and safety competency
assessment. That assessment must be administered by an in-state dental education
program accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental
Accreditation.
By January 1, 2025, the act requires UConn’s School of Dental Medicine to (1)
develop this competency assessment, reflecting current industry practices on dental
x-rays, and (2) report on its development to the Public Health Committee.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except October 1, 2023, for the provision on
dental assistants’ eligibility to take dental x-rays after passing the assessment.
§ 42 — EPINEPHRINE ADMINISTRATION BY EMS PERSONNEL
Requires EMS personnel, under specified conditions, to administer epinephrine using automatic
prefilled cartridge injectors, similar automatic injectable equipment, or prefilled vials and
syringes
The act requires EMS personnel to administer epinephrine using automatic
prefilled cartridge injectors, similar automatic injectable equipment, or prefilled
vials and syringes when each of the following conditions are met:
1. The EMS professional has been trained to do so in accordance with DPH-
recognized national standards.
2. The medication is administered according to written protocols and standing
orders of a physician serving as an emergency department director.
3. The EMS professional determines that administering epinephrine is
necessary to treat the person.
(HB 7001, September 26 Special Session, § 6, delays the start date for this
requirement from October 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, and allows EMS personnel to
administer epinephrine before then in the same manner.) O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 30 of 32
Prior law allowed, but did not require, EMTs (including advanced EMTs) and
paramedics to do this using automatic prefilled cartridge injectors or similar
equipment.
The act requires all EMS personnel to receive this training from a DPH-
designated organization; prior law required only EMTs and paramedics to receive
this training.
Prior law required licensed or certified ambulances to have epinephrine in
injectors or equipment for administration. The act instead requires them to have
epinephrine in injectors, similar equipment, or prefilled vials and syringes for this
purpose.
Under the act, “EMS personnel” include EMTs, advanced EMTs, paramedics,
and emergency medical responders.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023
§ 43 — MEDICAL RECORDS REQUESTS
Generally sets deadlines for licensed health care institutions to send electronic copies of patient
medical records to another institution upon request
The act sets deadlines for licensed health care institutions to transfer an
electronic copy of a patient’s medical records to another institution upon receiving
a medical records request directed by the patient or patient’s representative. Under
the act, the transfer must occur (1) as soon as feasible, but no later than six days,
for urgent requests, or (2) within seven business days for non-urgent requests. The
act specifies that the institution is not required to get specific written consent from
the patient before sending the electronic copy.
The act exempts from these requirements (1) DMHAS-operated facilities and
(2) the hospital and psychiatric residential treatment facility units of the Albert J.
Solnit Children’s Center.
The act also specifies that these provisions do not require institutions to transfer
records in the following circumstances:
1. if doing so would violate the federal Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) or related regulations, which set limits and
rules on the disclosure of protected health information;
2. in response to a direct request from another provider unless the provider can
validate that he or she has a health provider relationship with the patient; or
3. in response to a third-party request.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2024
§ 44 — MEDICAL IMAGING AND RESPIRATORY C ARE PRACTITIONER
SHORTAGE TASK FORCE
Creates a task force to study how to address the state’s shortage of radiologic technologists,
nuclear medicine technologists, and respiratory care practitioners
The act creates a task force to study ways to address the state’s shortage of
radiologic technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, and respiratory care O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 31 of 32
practitioners and to make a plan to address this shortage.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Membership and Administration
Under the act, the task force includes the Public Health Committee chairpersons
and ranking members or their designees, and six appointed members as shown
below.
Task Force Appointed Members
Appointing Authority Appointee Qualifications
House speaker Representative of a statewide association of radiologic
technologists with expertise in that profession
Senate president pro tempore Representative of a statewide association of nuclear
medicine technologists with expertise in that profession
House majority leader Representative of a statewide association of respiratory
care practitioners with expertise in that profession
Senate majority leader Representative of a hospital association in the state
House minority leader Representative of a radiologist society in the state
Senate minority leader Representative of a medical society in the state with
expertise in pulmonary issues
Under the act, any members may be legislators. Appointing authorities must
make their initial appointments by July 28, 2023, and fill any vacancy.
The House speaker and Senate president pro tempore select the task force
chairpersons from among its members. The chairpersons must schedule the first
meeting, which must be held by August 27, 2023.
The Public Health Committee’s administrative staff serves in that capacity for
the task force.
Reporting Requirement
The act requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to
the Public Health Committee by January 1, 2024. The task force terminates when
it submits the report or on January 1, 2024, whichever is later.
§§ 45 & 46 — BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR PHYSI CIAN AND
PSYCHOLOGIST LICENSURE APPLICANTS
Requires psychologist licensure applicants, and physician licensure applicants who wish to be
licensed in other states, to submit to a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history
records check by DESPP, allowing them to participate in certain interstate compacts
Under the act, the DPH commissioner must require licensure applicants to
submit to a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history records check by O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 32 of 32
DESPP if they are seeking licensure as a (1) psychologist, or (2) physician who
intends to apply for a license in another state within one year after applying for
Connecticut licensure. It requires the DESPP commissioner to report the results of
the physicians’ records checks to the DPH commissioner (but does not require him
to do this for psychologists).
In doing this, the act allows physicians and psychologists to participate in the
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and the Psychology Interjurisdictional
Compact, respectively, which Connecticut joined under PA 22-81. These compacts
require providers to complete an FBI fingerprint background check as a condition
of participation.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact provides an expedited licensure
process for physicians seeking to practice in multiple states. The Psychology
Interjurisdictional Compact provides a process authorizing psychologists to
practice by telehealth (unlimited) and temporary in-person, face-to-face services
(30 days per year per state) across state boundaries without having to be licensed
in each of the states.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023